My parents never supported me, my uncle would buy me a case of paint every Christmas and that's the only help I'd get. It was hard being younger because there is less you can do to make money but I did mow lawns but I know that there is already people doing that on your street but save save save and you will get there.

I have the same issue, except little funding every time I go. I'm 13, so for work, I babysit and basically do any job someone in my town asks me to for money. I would reccommend being a paintball ref if a field hires you. This may not work for you because I play hockey, but you need to be at least 13 and you can ref hockey games and you get different amounts depending on the age level you are reffing, ex: 9 year olds: 35$. Just learn how to skate a little and you just have to go to this seminar and they teach you all the stuff. That's funding taken care of. I also have the, "paintball isn't a sport, it's not something you do every week or two." It's basically resolved with my dad, but my mom won't buy it. Explain to her that it's something you want to do, and that you're getting older, so you should be trying new things. Explain also that playing on teams can help social skills and teamwork, which can transfer over to school projects. These are just some ides, hope you benefit from them!

To be honest I saw the first 3 posts (lazy but where I live I can work at 14 and it pays pretty good. Mowing lawns,music,babysitting,etc. show then mike Phillips and nppl/psp/woodsball/millennium videos. Have hour parents talk to the field/store owner and get educated on "what paintball is" I was in the same position and did all of these things. Now my dad goes with me and acts like he is In some war scene (it's a psp field lol)

__________________
Ladies, I am apart of the goonplatoon and do resemble the facial features of a soggy piece of cardboard.

Ditto bro. I have strict parents and I am always trying to convince them that it is a sport that is played nationally. I have the same problem with my school letting me form a team or club. They say it is dangerous because there are projectiles. But guess what? FOOTBALL has 10 times worse injury rate and I am pretty sure TRYING to "truck" and opponent is alot worse than a paintball hitting someone that IS WEARING A MASK. So just keep plowing forward and don't give in. I rarely am allowed to play, but i do whenever possible. I own a landscaping company in my neighborhood. Maybe you could create a monopoly. Good luck man!

I had some issues with that, but after awhile my parents understood how passionate I was for the sport. That being said, you got to prioritize your passion.

You are 13, and I understand the allure of having the high end or something different. If you have working gear now, and you are struggling to scrap together the coin to buy pain to play I would suggest that you suck it up and use your guns you have now. The Invery Mini and G4 will hold up very well for some time until you can find yourself in a better state moneywise.

I highly suggest you hold off on the the big gun purchase and get the absolute essentials if you need them, (Mask, Tank, Loader.) I used a rental gun for 2 years of my paintball life. I started when you did at 12. Hell I used a rental in my first two young-blood tournaments and I took 3rd and 1st. You can still play well with a 98 Custom. It is not as flashy and you got to take a hit to some of your pride, but like I said, priorities.

To the point of making cash, talk to your local field owner and explain your situation. DO NOT ASK FOR A HAND OUT! Nothing gets you turned down faster than asking for something free. Ask him if there is any field work he needs help with that you could do to maybe wave entry fee or get 500 rounds or something along those lines. Don't ask for a case off the bat, ask for useful and small. Build on that relationship. Even if you are only getting your entry fee waved, you still are paying less to play and in the long run that helps.

Take up some odd jobs, as many other people said. If you are close to any teachers at school, ask them for their opinion on where you could make a little extra coin. You will be surprised how some teachers support their students hobbies. My 8th grade teacher came out to 3 of my first young-blood teachers to see us play. She was awesome like that. She also paid for our first jerseys, they were cheap-o long sleeve with silk screen printing, but still.

Question for you guys. What about during the school year, junior or senior year, assuming you're bogged down and can't work? Wait out 'til college/next summer/holidays/use birthday money?

I hit this same wall. My Junior year, I disappeared for awhile.

First and foremost, grades are important so don't let those slip. I understand the passion for the sport, but academics are a lifelong deal. You can't neglect that. If you find you can't work a slight parttime job or do some odd jobs, waiting it our might be your best option. There are many no paint style drills you can do to keep yourself fresh.

Again, like I said in a post above, talk to your field owner if there is a way you can do some grunt work for a little help.

just look around on youtube im sure there a vid that shows that paintball isnt violent i see football more violent cause it a full contact sport and i kinda know because when i played street football i couldnt help myself smashing the **** out of the other team

Depending on what you play woodsball or speed ball. I advise saving up your money and buying either a pump or a paintball pistol if brave enough. Your paint will last you much longer (especially If its a pistol), and it will hone your skills if you are used to using a semi.